For once — and only once — Boston gets robbed

I’m pretty much of a mutt, ancestry-wise. I’m Polish, German, English and Irish. That’s why I actually like St. Patty’s day, which is coming up soon. I like the fact that I can partake in the day’s celebrations and not feel like a total outsider/fraud, which is how I feel on, say, Cinco de Mayo day.

I like U2, Irish beer and Lucky Charms, so it’s got to be something in my genes, right?

Which brings me to a recent ranking of Best Places to Go for St. Patrick’s Day. Obviously, given my strong Irish heritage, it was something that caught my attention. (Plus, I’m a rankings fool. I love those things.)

It was done by WalletHub, the personal finance website, and it got my Irish up, so to speak. Here’s a link to it. Now I have no problems with where San Diego was ranked, which was 64th.

We surf, we don’t jig, dig.

Indeed, in San Diego, I can think of only one authentic Irish bar, which is The Field in the Gaslamp. I happen to keep a very healthy distance from it on St. Patty’s weekend, though, give the crowds of Irish and Irish wannabes it attracts. If I want a pint of Harp, I’ll wait until August.

It’s not as if San Diego has a huge Irish population. When the Irish migrated to the U.S., the East Coast made a lot more sense, landing-wise. Only about 8 percent of the population is Irish, according to Statistical Atlas. (They will all be at The Field, except for me.)

San Diego does have a chapter of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, which has, I believe, nine members. And the city does have a St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which dates all the way back to …. 1978.

Boston’s first parade was held in 1737 …

Which brings me back to WalletHub and its ranking. As said, I’m cool with San Diego being way down the pack, trailing even Sioux Falls, South Dakota (No. 32) and Olathe, Kansas (No. 48). Indeed, next St. Patty’s Day, I may head to Amarillo, Texas, (No. 52.) I heard that green-dyed Lone Star beer is to die for!

WalletHub looked at a host of factors, such as the size of the Irish population, the number of Irish pubs and restaurants per capita, St. Patrick’s Day parades, average beer price and most last names beginning with Mc … (That last one, I made up.)

And here’s where I have the problem. For some reason, Chicago came in first.

Chicago?

And not Boston?

Yes, Boston somehow finished second.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Like many, I dislike Boston. Boston should lead a host of lists, particularly The City with the Most Obnoxious Sports Fans.

However, even their sports teams have Irish ties. Patriot’s quarterback Tom Brady is Irish, for instance, even though I doubt he will down a beer on the big day and risk adding .0000000009 percent of body fat by doing so.

The Chicago Bears quarterback is Mitch Trubisky. I doubt that he is Irish.

The Boston Celtics? Come on. The mascot is a leprechaun, for goodness sake.

So, yes, Boston should most definitely lead the list of Best Places to Go on St. Patrick’s Day. It got jobbed. Ever hear of the Kennedys? Sixteen of the nation’s Most Irish Towns are just south of Boston.

And Chicago is actually losing its Irish population. Since 1990, it’s dropped by 16 percent, according to story in the Chicago Tribune. They’re moving to Boston. No, not really. They’re heading to the suburbs mostly.

And the city with the most Irish? That’s actually Pittsburgh. And naturally it finished 10th in the WalletHub list. ‘Cause the Steelers quarterback is Ben Roethlisberger, who is Swiss.